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Todd Akin’s rape remark has GOP fretting

Rep. Todd Akin’s damning statement that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant is just the latest in a string of unforced errors by the GOP Senate candidate that has Republicans fretting about his chances of beating Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.

And a loss in Missouri would almost certainly quash the party’s hopes of reclaiming the Senate majority.

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In just over a week since securing the GOP nomination, Akin has doubled-down on likening student loans to socialism, questioned the value of voting rights laws, called for the end of the federal school lunch program and then — in an interview that made national headlines — openly speculated about the consequences of “legitimate rape.”

It’s no wonder why McCaskill was more than happy to assist Akin’s primary campaign with an ad hailing him as “the true conservative.”

In a span of 12 short days, the six-term congressman’s performance has confirmed the worst fears of Republicans while breathing a burst of fresh hope into McCaskill’s underdog bid.

There’s now a burgeoning sense among anxious Republicans and cautious Democrats that Akin is handing McCaskill a ripe opportunity to climb back in a race that should be close to over. At least one public poll since the primary has shown McCaskill within the margin of error — a position she hadn’t seen in months. And if Akin fumbles his shot at a race that GOP operatives felt supremely confident about just a month ago, it’s difficult to see how the party converts the four pickups it needs to wrest back Senate control.

McCaskill hopped on the statement, saying, “It is beyond comprehension that someone can be so ignorant about the emotional and physical trauma brought on by rape. The ideas that Todd Akin has expressed about the serious crime of rape and impact on its victims are offensive.”

Let's see if Ryan has anything to say about this. After all this is basically Ryan's view. He wants to outlaw abortions from rape or incest. I guess it's OK with him to force a young girl or woman through nine months of an unwanted and fearful pregnancy. This is the price she pays for being raped. Romney also goes along with this approach. Welcome to the non-empathetic world of the GOP. Jesus must be very sad this evening.

I don't see what Todd said that has libbers all frothing mad. I especially agree with Todd that the federal school lunch program needs to be brought back to the state level, or better yet eliminated altogether. In any event, Joe Biden is trying to put y'all back in chains so I don't know how you have time to worry about a patriotic American who is just trying to spread truth.

Actually, Akin is right. The female body does have the ability to shut the whole thing down. A female's body is fortunately endowed with a good mind by which she can use it to make a rational decision to exercise her free will to have a doctor terminate a fertilized egg rather than allow Akin's government or his religion to force her to use her body to develop that egg into an unwanted child.